Tonight, we got our first 40-minute look at what Kentucky would be like without Tyler Ulis and man, it was ugly. Ulis sat out tonight’s game after hyperextending his elbow on Friday, a precautionary measure to make sure he’s 100% for Thursday’s showdown with UCLA in Pauley Pavilion. And boy, will the Cats need him.
Give credit to Illinois State. They knew exactly how to confuse Kentucky without Ulis, spreading the floor and driving the basket with ease. Early on, the Cats looked totally disorganized and Illinois State capitalized on their errors, jumping to a 7-1 lead. After six ties and three lead changes, Kentucky went into halftime tied with Illinois State at 31 before eventually pulling away to win 75-63.